2IO 



NA TURE 



[December 28, 1899 



ledge of physical laws and their application to industrial anl 

 engineering operations. The laboratories are capable of ac- 

 commodating fifty students at one time, and are equipped 

 throughout with the most recent apparatus for the study of 

 physics. 



((/) The Chemistry Section is arranged to assist students who 

 intend carrying on work involving the applications of chemistry 

 as industrial, consulting, or analytical chemists. The course 

 includes other subjects required by technical chemists, and 

 students who wish to do more advanced work can only com- 

 plete the course in three years. 



Day College for Women. 



This college is the counterpart of the day college for men, and 

 the Principal is aided in its direction by a lady superintendent. It 

 is at the present time attended by 200 students. The aim of the 

 college is to provide women with a thorough and liberal educa- 

 tion, not only in art, science, literature, and commerce, but also 

 in domestic economy and physical training. While it is a little 



theoretical, and the most careful precaUvions are taken to ensure 

 the physical well-being of the embryo instructors. 



Evening Classes. 

 The time table of the evening classes at this polytechnic gives 

 the impression that it would be difficult to name a subject which 

 is not included. There are classes in all branches of pure and 

 applied science, languages and literature, domestic science, com- 

 mercial subjects, art, music, and many other subjects. The fees 

 are low, and the classes well attended, while the examination 

 results show that the students make substantial progress. 



Higher Scientific Instruction and Work in 

 Research. 

 A special characteristic of the work of the South-Western Poly- 

 technic is the higher instruction in science and the interesting 

 development of education in the methods of research, to which 

 reference has already been made in these columns (No. 1523, 

 p. 236). Both in the day and evening classes great attention is 

 given to electrical engineering. The following table shows the 



-The Physiciil I aboratory, South-We^leni Polytcchi; 



difficult to make selections where the whole work is so satis- 

 factory, the training offered for lady secretaries and the training 

 college for gymnastic teachers call for special inention. The 

 growing demand for ladies to act as secretaries or confidential 

 clerks renders the question of the competent training of can- 

 didates for such posts one of great practical importance, and 

 there is no doubt that the arrangements which have been made at 

 Chelsea to provide a complete course of study for those wishing 

 to obtain employment as secretaries or clerks will have a very 

 beneficial effect. 



The training college for gymnastic teachers is under the 

 direction of Fraulein Wilke. The complete course of training 

 extends over two years, and the fee for the whole time is seventy- 

 two guineas. A noteworthy feature of the method of instruction 

 adopted is that the candidates are taught each of the systems of 

 gymnastics, German, Swedish, and English, and are consequently 

 not handicapped like students in many similar colleges where 

 one system only is taught. The instruction is both practical and 



NO. 1574, VOL. 61] 



number ot individual students attending the more important 

 classes in this section : — 



Advanced Electrical Engineering ... . . ... 58 



Elementary Electrical Engineering ... ... 55 



Alternating and Polyphase Currents 24 



Calculus for Electrical Engineers ... ... ... 21 



Electric Wiring and Fitting ... ... ... 69 



B.Sc. Physics for London Univer.sity ... ... 20 



Telegraphy 14 



The equipment of the laboratories for this work contains some 

 interesting apparatus and machines. The polyphase generator, 

 which consists of three small alternators of identical construction 

 mounted on one bed plate and coupled together with gradu- 

 ated couplings, which admit of any given phase difference being 

 produced between any of the alternators, deserves particular 

 mention. There are also examples of the most recent conti- 

 nental three-phase and induction motors, on which careful tests 



